Do your part to protect planet: Vote responsibly

What’s important to you? Would you spend time, energy and dollars to ensure candidates supporting your values are elected in November?

I’ll share my thoughts with you and hope you feel so inclined to do the same with me.

At the top of my list of important issues is our planet. Everyone needs to be an instrument for making our home more habitable than when we entered. If we don’t protect it, we’re all homeless. If we don’t support the creation of green jobs, espouse public transportation and recycle to the greatest degree we possibly can; we are treading dangerous waters. If you wish to live on Earth and have it remain home to your children and grandchildren, consider making the preservation of the planet a leading concern on your list of “what’s important to you.”

Where do your “favorite” candidates stand on the issue of protecting the planet? If you have already made a decision about those you will vote for, you might want to take a second look to read their positions on conserving our natural resources and preserving our home, the only one we have at the moment. Check if they support the creation of green jobs and public transportation. Do their campaign websites mention preservation of the planet?

You now find in your double checking that your candidate says nothing about the environment or green jobs or alternatives to oil and coal for power or public transportation. You stop for a moment and decide you are going to vote for that person anyway because, well, just because, or you simply like that candidate. But, if you care about the air you breathe and the water your drink, shouldn’t you choose candidates who also care? If your candidate is an incumbent, has he/she done anything at all to “put their money where their mouth is” when it comes to protecting the Earth?

“It doesn’t make a difference,” you say. “I’m not going to be around long enough to worry about what shape the Earth is like in 20 or 50 or 100 years. Besides, the politicians aren’t going to do anything about it anyway.”

Stop. You’re saying you don’t care beyond what happens to you. You’re saying politicians you vote for don’t care about what is important to you, and you don’t want to do anything or take any responsibility for what happens in your community and beyond.

We are all quick to say we teach our children to be responsible adults, but what are we saying to them when we aren’t taking the time to vote for candidates who share our values? What do we say to them when we vote for those who don’t support or vote for bills to create green jobs or work for the creation of public transportation?

When we say that working toward preserving the planet isn’t important because we and the politicians can’t do anything about it, we’re avoiding all responsibility for living on Earth. Looks to me that we believe there is no problem, we have no responsibility for the problem and if there is a problem, somebody else will fix it. Nice lesson in responsibility, folks!

People like to say all politicians are crooked and care only for themselves. Maybe we should take a look at who put those stellar folks in office and examine why voters keep rewarding them for their “outstanding service.”

Whether you want to believe it or not, we are the problem. We have allowed the political parties to become what they are. We have allowed candidates/politicians to rant and rave to extremes and ignore facts while they are whipping crowds into a frenzy. We simply go along to get along.

“I can’t fix anything,” you say. I believe you need to stop to think about what you are saying.

When it comes to preserving the Earth, you can recycle and teach your children to do the same. You can drive less and walk more. You can conserve energy in your home. You can read Angela Smith’s column on battery disposal in the Sept. 8th issue of this newspaper. All of us can start with ourselves when it comes to preserving our home.

And, the bottom line of the last 710 words: Be responsible and save your home.

Rose Ann Miele is a journalist and was public information officer for Boulder City for nine years. She can be reached at roseannrab@hotmail.com or at 702-339-9082.